tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88888655721695760492018-03-11T07:15:12.409-05:00Family Matters Parent Training and Information CenterPatty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.comBlogger205125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-27780104419238120142017-07-13T12:07:00.000-05:002017-07-13T12:07:03.271-05:00Have you read our Summer 2017 Newsletter yet?<h2 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Inside this Issue:</span><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h2><br /><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Resources to Help &amp; Archived Webinars<br /> pg. 3</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">We Need You!<br /> pg. 4</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Book Review<br /> pg. 5</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">New IDEA Website<br /> pg. 6</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Tot Spot<br /> pg. 7</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Find Free Audiobooks<br /> pg. 8</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Seeking Transition Success Stories<br /> pg. 9</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Student Record Reviews<br /> pg. 10</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Test Your Knowledge<br /> pg. 11</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Summer Learning<br /> pg. 12</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">A Tale of Two Conversations</span><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> pg. 13</span><br /><br /><br />To Read the Full Edition go to: <a href="http://www.fmptic.org/sites/default/files/Summer%202017%20Newsletter%20Final.pdf">http://www.fmptic.org/sites/default/files/Summer%202017%20Newsletter%20Final.pdf</a><br /><br /></li></ul>Chasidy Manshiphttps://plus.google.com/117032490593956073312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-85589494791867383852017-03-27T09:54:00.000-05:002017-03-27T09:54:09.272-05:00Youth Learn Leadership Skills<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Youth Learn Leadership Skills <br />By: Patty Hooper</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div>Upon entering the room, all one could see was youth wrestling with cardboard and duct tape, while laughing and collaborating. It might look like the youth were just joking and playing around, but they were actually learning important leadership skills, like cooperation and problem solving. Their challenge was to work cooperatively to build a structure that at least one youth could fit into. These youth are part of a program Family Matters started in the Fall called Speak Up! Self-advocacy Training Program.<br />Speak Up! is a training program that staff at Family Matters adapted to teach youth and young adults with disabilities self-advocacy skills. We have worked on cooperation, communication, and social skills, all while having fun. We have discussed how to stand up for oneself without being aggressive and how to deal with having a disability in school and the workplace.<br />Family Matters applied for a grant from the Siemer Foundation, which was providing funding to organizations to teach youth and young adults leadership and entrepreneurial skills. The Family Matters grant proposal, stated that all students need chances to learn leadership skills, but often those with disabilities are left out of many such opportunities at school because of their disabilities. We stated that though students with disabilities often struggle with these skills, they can learn with the right opportunities and training. Our grant proposal was accepted and we were awarded $5,000 for the yearlong project.<br />Our group meets monthly where we take part in a variety of activities. Along with these meetings, we have many more things in store, including a mini-conference with speakers about inclusion and participation in our state’s legislative breakfast in Springfield. At Family Matters, we know that those with disabilities have a lot to offer and contribute to their communities. We hope that through this program, the youth participants will learn more about their strengths and how to use them to participate fully in school and the community.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9XdgAvidxPA/WNKO6LdHpTI/AAAAAAAAACY/mpZZja4XnN81ACOGdlvXRrq-ItXqpyWgACLcB/s1600/Speak%2BUP%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9XdgAvidxPA/WNKO6LdHpTI/AAAAAAAAACY/mpZZja4XnN81ACOGdlvXRrq-ItXqpyWgACLcB/s1600/Speak%2BUP%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9XdgAvidxPA/WNKO6LdHpTI/AAAAAAAAACY/mpZZja4XnN81ACOGdlvXRrq-ItXqpyWgACLcB/s320/Speak%2BUP%2B.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bIQ44LWmRJM/WNKO98CbToI/AAAAAAAAACc/GpRyD1TtwlYj51s5B9WCTD2fzTy5eaqPQCLcB/s1600/IMG_9295resized%2Bto%2Bfit%2Bweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bIQ44LWmRJM/WNKO98CbToI/AAAAAAAAACc/GpRyD1TtwlYj51s5B9WCTD2fzTy5eaqPQCLcB/s320/IMG_9295resized%2Bto%2Bfit%2Bweb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DcmnjRLsUnk/WNKPgdRJ0dI/AAAAAAAAACk/PEBupFbQEA8iWfVTjmHmiIKnqupvf_4fACLcB/s1600/Siemer%2BEndowment%2BPhoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DcmnjRLsUnk/WNKPgdRJ0dI/AAAAAAAAACk/PEBupFbQEA8iWfVTjmHmiIKnqupvf_4fACLcB/s320/Siemer%2BEndowment%2BPhoto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L5A8Q0B9N9s/WNKPeW7pZVI/AAAAAAAAACg/lxkTp3C5OZoabTiJfw2mETkkBFFPaYdmACLcB/s1600/IMG_8369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L5A8Q0B9N9s/WNKPeW7pZVI/AAAAAAAAACg/lxkTp3C5OZoabTiJfw2mETkkBFFPaYdmACLcB/s320/IMG_8369.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br />Chasidy Manshiphttps://plus.google.com/117032490593956073312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-579492576428493242017-03-22T09:29:00.000-05:002017-03-22T09:29:26.326-05:00Our 3rd Annual Bowl-A-Thon was a Success!<h1 style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; text-align: center;">3rd Annual "Team Up for Children with Disabilities" Bowl-A-Thon a Success!</h1><h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; text-align: center;">Over $6,500 Raised!</h2><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">&nbsp;There is still time to "Team Up for Children with Disabilities". If you missed this event, you can make an online donation at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=S5mxFBHjnnjP8_R0cfoEJM9qFQWZ6ArRN-7kgEiBd-gk41DI15Nh94HOXwFGFOKQNNwoUm" target="_blank">www.fmptic.org/donate<br /><br /><img align="none" alt="Bowler" border="0" height="133" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Bowler.jpg" style="height: 133px; width: 200px;" title="Bowler" vspace="0" width="200" /></a>&nbsp;<img align="none" alt="Bowling" border="0" height="133" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Bowling.jpg" style="height: 133px; width: 200px;" title="Bowling" vspace="0" width="200" /><br /><img align="none" alt="Charlotte's Strike" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Charlotte's%20Strike.jpg" style="height: 200px; width: 150px;" title="Charlotte's Strike" vspace="0" width="150" />&nbsp;<img align="none" alt="Here goes Zoie" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Here%20goes%20Zoie.jpg" style="height: 200px; width: 150px;" title="Here goes Zoie" vspace="0" width="150" />&nbsp;<img align="none" alt="Kellen Ehrenhardt and family" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Kellen%20Ehrenhardt%20and%20family.jpg" style="height: 200px; width: 150px;" title="Kellen Ehrenhardt and family" vspace="0" width="150" /><br /><br /><img align="none" alt="The aBengers" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/The%20aBengers.jpg" style="height: 200px; width: 150px;" title="The aBengers" vspace="0" width="150" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img align="none" alt="Turkey Winner at the Bowlathon resized for website" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Turkey%20Winner%20at%20the%20Bowlathon%20resized%20for%20website.jpg" style="height: 200px; width: 150px;" title="Turkey Winner at the Bowlathon resized for website" vspace="0" width="150" />&nbsp;<img align="none" alt="Washington Kingpins2" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Washington%20Kingpins2.jpg" style="height: 200px; width: 150px;" title="Washington Kingpins2" vspace="0" width="150" />&nbsp;</span><br /><img align="none" alt="The Sanders family Bowling" border="0" height="100" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/The%20Sanders%20family%20Bowling.jpg" style="font-size: 16px; height: 100px; width: 150px;" title="The Sanders family Bowling" vspace="0" width="150" /><img align="none" alt="Jim Einhorn Bowling" border="0" height="100" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Jim%20Einhorn%20Bowling.jpg" style="height: 100px; width: 150px;" title="Jim Einhorn Bowling" vspace="0" width="150" /><img align="none" alt="Silly Patty and Karrie at Bowlathon Photobooth" border="0" height="100" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Silly%20Patty%20and%20Karrie%20at%20Bowlathon%20Photobooth.jpg" style="height: 100px; width: 107px;" title="Silly Patty and Karrie at Bowlathon Photobooth" vspace="0" width="107" /><br /><img align="none" alt="Little boy bowling" border="0" height="100" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Little%20boy%20bowling.jpg" style="height: 100px; width: 150px;" title="Little boy bowling" vspace="0" width="150" /></div><h4 style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A special thanks to all our bowlers, &nbsp;those who supported the bowlers, our event committee members, and all the community members who contributed to this fundraiser. All of you were essential to our success and your participation was so important to us!</span></h4><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thank you to all our active committee members for your gifts of time, creativity, and determination!<br />Audrey Haney (chair)<br />Teresa Parks<br />Deb Fornoff<br />Emily Chetty<br />Teri Ehrenhardt<br />Charlotte Cronin<br /><br />A special thank you to Audrey Haney for organizing the Bowl-A-Thon. Family Matters is grateful and indebted to Audrey for giving so freely of her time and locating resources and donors who made the Bowl-A-Thon a successful fundraiser.<br /><br /><b>We also want to thank our Ambassador Families:<br /><i>The Nauman Family and The Sanders Family</i></b><br /><strong><u>The Nauman Family</u></strong><br /><img align="none" alt="Nauman family" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Nauman%20family.jpg" style="height: 200px; width: 300px;" title="Nauman family" vspace="0" width="300" /><br />"Since welcoming our daughter Charlotte in 2010&nbsp;we have utilized countless workshops sponsored by Family Matters. Their passionate staff have provided us with&nbsp;education on topics ranging&nbsp;from&nbsp;behavior to transition, school,&nbsp;family and everything in between. We&nbsp;have always been able to count&nbsp;on the&nbsp;workshops, resources, and support to provide us with the tools&nbsp;we need to set Charlotte up for success in all areas of her life. The gift of knowledge that Family Matters has given us&nbsp;the past six years is&nbsp;priceless and we look&nbsp;forward to more top-notch trainings in the future!" ~Nauman family ~<br /><br /><u><strong>The Sanders Family<br /><img align="none" alt="Sanders Family" border="0" height="200" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Sanders%20Family.jpg" style="height: 200px; width: 300px;" title="Sanders Family" vspace="0" width="300" /></strong></u><br />"I first contacted Family Matters in 2015, when my son, Sebastian, was in kindergarten. I didn’t know much about autism at the time. I was overwhelmed and I did not know which way to go. I was so excited when Patty&nbsp;Hooper called me back! I finally found a person who understood what I was going through, another parent just like me. She had so much experience navigating the special needs journey! I have contacted her multiple times and she helped me get familiar with legislation, with the school system, and she also had first-hand experience with a child with autism! I feel like I have a guide for the next steps along our journey and that takes a lot of stress off of me. Family Matters gave me the tools and the knowledge needed to help my son. I feel like I became a strong advocate for my son with the knowledge I gained.&nbsp;&nbsp;But, most importantly, I learned to see strength instead of weakness, to see an opportunity instead of a challenge, to see ability instead of disability, and to see the value of each person no matter what their level of ability may be. Family Matters gave me a different perspective from their years of experience."<br />&nbsp;~Sanders Family~</span><br />&nbsp;</div><h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; text-align: center;">A Big Thank You to All of Our Sponsors:</h2><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><u>Casual Day Fundraiser</u></strong></span></div><ul style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 12px;"><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Royal Publishing, Inc.</span><br /><a href="http://www.royalpublishing.com/" target="_blank">http://www.royalpublishing.com/</a><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img align="none" alt="Royal Publishing" border="0" height="31" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Royal%20Publishing.jpg" style="height: 31px; width: 300px;" title="Royal Publishing" vspace="0" width="300" /></span></li></ul><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><u>Our Lane Sponsors</u>:</strong></span></div><ul style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 12px;"><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Savant Capital, LLC</span><br /><a href="https://www.savantcapital.com/" target="_blank">https://www.savantcapital.com/</a><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img align="none" alt="savant-capital-web" border="0" height="50" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/savant-capital-web.jpg" style="height: 50px; width: 100px;" title="savant-capital-web" vspace="0" width="100" /></span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Advocates for Acces</span><br /><a href="http://www.advocatesforaccess.com/" target="_blank">http://www.advocatesforaccess.com/</a><br /><img align="none" alt="Advocates for Access 2" border="0" height="54" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Advocates%20for%20Access%202.jpg" style="height: 54px; width: 300px;" title="Advocates for Access 2" vspace="0" width="300" /></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Heart of Illinois Down Syndrome Association</span><br /><a href="http://www.hoidsa.org/home" target="_blank">http://www.hoidsa.org/home</a><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img align="none" alt="HOIDSA" border="0" height="78" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/HOIDSA.jpg" style="height: 78px; width: 200px;" title="HOIDSA" vspace="0" width="200" /></span><br />&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Ehrenhardt Family</span><br />&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Peoria Chiropractic</span><br /><a href="http://www.peoriachiropractic.com/" target="_blank">http://www.peoriachiropractic.com/</a><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img align="none" alt="Peoria Chiropractic Logo (002)" border="0" height="55" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Peoria%20Chiropractic%20Logo%20(002).jpg" style="height: 55px; width: 150px;" title="Peoria Chiropractic Logo (002)" vspace="0" width="150" /></span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Family Benefit Solutions</span><br /><a href="http://www.familybenefitsolutions.com/" target="_blank">http://www.familybenefitsolutions.com/</a><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img align="none" alt="Family Benefit Solutions" border="0" height="52" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Family%20Benefit%20Solutions.jpg" style="height: 52px; width: 300px;" title="Family Benefit Solutions" vspace="0" width="300" /></span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">SPEC - Peoria Special Persons Encounter Christ</span><br /><a href="http://www.stjohnstmaryqc.org/archives/previous-announcements/specspecialpersonsencounterchrist" target="_blank">http://www.stjohnstmaryqc.org/archives/previous-announcements/specspecialpersonsencounterchrist</a><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img align="none" alt="SPEC Peoria Special Persons Encounter Christ" border="0" height="65" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/SPEC%20Peoria%20Special%20Persons%20Encounter%20Christ.jpg" style="height: 65px; width: 150px;" title="SPEC Peoria Special Persons Encounter Christ" vspace="0" width="150" /></span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Matthew Cohen, Special Education Disability Rights Law<br /><a href="http://www.mattcohenandassociates.com/" target="_blank">http://www.mattcohenandassociates.com/</a><br /><img align="none" alt="Matt Cohen Special Education Disability Rights Law Logo 2" border="0" height="38" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Matt%20Cohen%20Special%20Education%20Disability%20Rights%20Law%20Logo%202.gif" style="height: 38px; width: 300px;" title="Matt Cohen Special Education Disability Rights Law Logo 2" vspace="0" width="300" /></span><br />&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Blue Ridge Community Farm</span><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/blueridgecommunityfarm/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/blueridgecommunityfarm/</a><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img align="none" alt="Blue Ridge Community Farm" border="0" height="100" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Blue%20Ridge%20Community%20Farm.jpg" style="height: 100px; width: 100px;" title="Blue Ridge Community Farm" vspace="0" width="100" /></span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">American Legion Post 661 Washburn</span><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Legion/111844292211995" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Legion/111844292211995</a><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img align="none" alt="Washburn American Legion b and w 3" border="0" height="90" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Washburn%20American%20Legion%20b%20and%20w%203.jpg" style="height: 90px; width: 300px;" title="Washburn American Legion b and w 3" vspace="0" width="300" /></span></li></ul><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><u>Our T-Shirt Sponsors</u></strong></span></div><ul style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 12px;"><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">American Legion Post 661 Washburn</span><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Legion/111844292211995" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Legion/111844292211995</a><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img align="none" alt="Washburn American Legion b and w 4" border="0" height="90" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Washburn%20American%20Legion%20b%20and%20w%204.jpg" style="height: 90px; width: 300px;" title="Washburn American Legion b and w 4" vspace="0" width="300" /></span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Rubin Law, A Professional Corporation<br /><a href="http://www.rubinlaw.com/" target="_blank">www.rubinlaw.com</a><br /><img align="none" alt="Rubin Law Logo" border="0" height="162" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Rubin%20Law%20Logo.jpg" style="height: 162px; width: 300px;" title="Rubin Law Logo" vspace="0" width="300" /></span><br />&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Peoria Chiropractic</span><br /><a href="http://www.peoriachiropractic.com/" target="_blank">http://www.peoriachiropractic.com/</a><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img align="none" alt="Peoria Chiropractic Logo (002) 2" border="0" height="36" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Peoria%20Chiropractic%20Logo%20(002)%202.jpg" style="height: 36px; width: 100px;" title="Peoria Chiropractic Logo (002) 2" vspace="0" width="100" /></span><br />&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Family Benefit Solutions</span><br /><a href="http://www.familybenefitsolutions.com/" target="_blank">http://www.familybenefitsolutions.com/</a><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img align="none" alt="Family Benefit Solutions 2" border="0" height="52" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Family%20Benefit%20Solutions%202.jpg" style="height: 52px; width: 300px;" title="Family Benefit Solutions 2" vspace="0" width="300" /></span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Total Spectrum</span><br /><a href="http://www.totalspectrumcare.com/" target="_blank">http://www.totalspectrumcare.com/</a><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img align="none" alt="Total_Spectrum_logo1" border="0" height="87" hspace="0" src="https://2420af1ed7-custmedia.vresp.com/e241c1014a/Total_Spectrum_logo1.jpg" style="height: 87px; width: 100px;" title="Total_Spectrum_logo1" vspace="0" width="100" /></span></li></ul><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><u>Our In-Kind Donors</u></strong></span></div><ul style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 12px;"><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Charlotte Cronin</span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Embassy Suites/Graham Mullett</span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Family Benefit Solutions/Sherri Schneider</span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Deb Fornoff</span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Rachel Martin</span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Emily Chetty</span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Teresa Parks</span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Beth McConnell</span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Debbie Einhorn</span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Karrie Potter</span></li><li style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Nancy Mader</span></li></ul>Chasidy Manshiphttps://plus.google.com/117032490593956073312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-44059167134613756722016-11-21T15:51:00.000-06:002017-01-27T15:52:15.104-06:00The Littlest Inventor<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vEamjzUWhpM/WIu_XH-yazI/AAAAAAAABUs/HouPmoknAcQlr2c0_Uid4Nw_DRtHTtA0wCLcB/s320/The-Littlest-Inventor.jpg" width="320" /></div><br /><br />I have been thinking a lot about self advocacy lately, probably because I am working on a local program with Family Matters to teach kids how to advocate for themselves.&nbsp; When I discovered this book "The Littlest Inventor," I was delighted.<br /><br /><a href="https://sensoryworld.com/product/the-littlest-inventor/">"The Littlest Inventor"</a> by Mandi C. Mathis is the cutest book about a little boy who invents an entire costume to help him deal with sensory overload at the store.&nbsp; He goes to the store with his family, but cannot handle all the sensory stimulation that bombards him. <br /><br />Upon returning home, he devises a hat with headphones, wears a weighted vest under his lab coat and puts on chewy dog tags.&nbsp; The story shows how he is able to overcome the sensory difficulties he has at the grocery store and has a successful trip.<br /><br />The author tells the story in rhyme and includes colorful expressive pictures to accompany the story.&nbsp; But the best part of the story, in my opinion, is how the boy figures out a way to overcome his difficulties. I love how inventive and proactive he is and I think this sends a fantastic message to kids with disabilities. <br /><br />I highly recommend checking it out!Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-4858358022132705022015-09-20T10:25:00.002-05:002015-09-20T10:25:28.814-05:00"Overcoming Anxiety in Children and Teens" Review<br />I never thought of myself as an anxious person. &nbsp;Sure, I worry about a lot of things, but doesn't everyone? &nbsp;I remember at a therapy appointment one day, noticing that my therapist had written the word "anxiety" down in my charts, but I was sure she had made a mistake. &nbsp;Then, one day, I read one of those ubiquitous facebook articles, titled something like, "Ten Things only Anxious People Will Understand." &nbsp;I read it on a lark, but soon noticed I could identify with every single point made.<br /><br />Maybe my therapist was onto something, after all.<br /><br />As an adult with mild anxiety, I have learned strategies to deal with my worries. &nbsp;Sometimes they work; other times, not so much. &nbsp;Those times where my mind is racing and nothing will help, it is extremely difficult for me to get work done and function normally in society. I find myself wishing for something, anything that will turn my mind off.<br /><br />Knowing that there are many children and teens out there who suffer from even more severe anxiety is a sobering thought. &nbsp;How do they function at school, with their friends? <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fhautism.com/images/detailed/2/Jed_Baker_-_Overcoming_Anxiety_FINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fhautism.com/images/detailed/2/Jed_Baker_-_Overcoming_Anxiety_FINAL.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><br />I was excited at the chance to read and review Jed Baker's latest book, <a href="http://fhautism.com/overcoming-anxiety-in-children-and-teens-dr-jed-baker.html">"Overcoming Anxiety in Children and Teens."</a> &nbsp;This is such an important topic, one that is a major concern for many parents. &nbsp;I had already read other books by Baker, who is an expert on the topic of autism, so I felt certain this book would be helpful.<br /><br />"Overcoming Anxiety" is a very accessible book and easy to read. &nbsp;The chapters are broken cover topics like the research and treatments for anxiety, what anxiety is and how to prepare for treatment, all things you would expect in such a book. &nbsp;But what I love is that it actually provides strategies for children in dealing with their anxiety. Baker outlines strategies such as fear ladders, meditation, mindfulness activities, among others.<br /><br />Another great and unique part of this book is that there is an entire chapter on how to adapt treatment for children who are less verbal and have autism. &nbsp;He includes information about environmental supports and modifying sensory challenges, which are often a major concern with kids on the spectrum,<br /><br />The book also covers social anxiety, selective mutism, separation anxiety, OCD, panic disorder, and so much more. &nbsp;There are a lot of really interesting and easy-to-relate-to examples of ways that these issues may manifest in children. &nbsp;He also includes a list of apps that can help with anxiety.<br /><br />This is a must-read for anyone who works or cares for a child or teen with anxiety! &nbsp; &nbsp;You can buy it at Future Horizons <a href="http://fhautism.com/overcoming-anxiety-in-children-and-teens-dr-jed-baker.html">here.</a>&nbsp; We also have a copy in our lending library that people who live in Illinois can borrow. &nbsp;Just call 866-436-7842.<br /><br /><br />Also, if you need help in getting the school to make accommodations or provide support for your child with anxiety, please call Family Matters at 866-436-7842.<br /><div><br /></div>Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-66410590708048864182015-07-14T08:45:00.001-05:002015-07-14T08:45:43.195-05:00Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration reviewWhen my son, Danny was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder over 9 years ago, I was at a loss.&nbsp; I wasn't entirely sure how to help him, but I was relieved to finally have an answer as to what was happening with him.&nbsp;&nbsp; As I researched SPD, I started learning why he was having meltdowns and how to help him regulate his senses.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a class="cm-image-previewer cm-previewer previewer" data-ca-image-height="556" data-ca-image-id="preview[product_images_42455a410b73780f]" data-ca-image-width="426" href="http://fhautism.com/images/detailed/1/Building_Bridges_through_Sensory_Integration-Therapy_for_Children_with_Autism_and_other_PDDs-978-1-932565-45-4.jpg" id="det_img_link_42455a410b73780f_1014" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Building Bridges through Sensory Integration: Therapy for Children with Autism and other PDDs"><img alt="Building Bridges through Sensory Integration: Therapy for Children with Autism and other PDDs" class=" pict" src="http://fhautism.com/images/thumbnails/280/365/detailed/1/Building_Bridges_through_Sensory_Integration-Therapy_for_Children_with_Autism_and_other_PDDs-978-1-932565-45-4.jpg" height="365" id="det_img_42455a410b73780f_1014" title="Building Bridges through Sensory Integration: Therapy for Children with Autism and other PDDs" width="280" /></a></div><br />I read every article and book I could get my hands on, one of which included <a href="http://fhautism.com/building-bridges-through-sensory-integration-therapy-for-children-with-autism-and-other-pdds.html"><em>Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration</em>: <em>Therapy for Children with Autism and</em></a><br /><a href="http://fhautism.com/building-bridges-through-sensory-integration-therapy-for-children-with-autism-and-other-pdds.html"><em>Other Pervasive Developmental Dis</em><em>orders</em></a> by Ellen Yack, Paula Aquilla and Shirley Sutton.&nbsp; I loved this book because it explained sensory integration in great detail.&nbsp;It was my go-to handbook on all things sensory related.<br /><br />Now, they have published a new edition and it's even better than ever!&nbsp; <em>Building Bridges </em>gives great, easy to read information about what sensory issues are and how to identify whether your child has them.&nbsp; There is a comprehensive checklist to ascertain what sensory areas your child might have difficulties with.&nbsp;The authors explain that your child could be hyper (over) responsive or hypo&nbsp;(under) responsive, and&nbsp;they provide questions&nbsp;for each category.<br /><br />My favorite aspect of the book is that there are several chapters on strategies to help kids with sensory needs. As a parent, that was always what I was looking for in the books I read: real-life ideas that I could use at home or that we could implement at school.&nbsp; This book doesn't disappoint.<br /><br />The chapter called "Strategies for Challenging Behavior" should be required reading for all teachers.&nbsp; The chapter outlines different relaxation techniques, as well as information about&nbsp;sensory diets, calming and alerting strategies, and strategies for specific behavior issues.&nbsp;&nbsp;For example,&nbsp;the authors explain why a child might bite others and what&nbsp;teachers or parents can do to help minimize that behavior.&nbsp; Other behaviors they target include: running, spinning,&nbsp;or movement seeking, crashing, bumping, and clinging, hitting, slapping, pinching, etc.<br /><br />Other chapters include information on teaching self-care skills and&nbsp;adapting home, school and childcare settings.&nbsp; Chapter 8 is a phenomenal resource, as it is chock full of activity suggestions that target the different senses.&nbsp; Tactile activities include recipes for salt dough, drizzle goo, and super simple sparkle chalk, for example.&nbsp; This chapter even includes cut-out cards with different physical activity ideas.&nbsp; They can be printed up to be used at home. <br /><br />Along with these printable cards, there is a link that you can&nbsp;access to print up the activity cards, sensory checklists, home and school communication sheets, and many other very valuable printables.<br /><br />I&nbsp;highly recommend<em>&nbsp;</em><a href="http://fhautism.com/building-bridges-through-sensory-integration-therapy-for-children-with-autism-and-other-pdds.html"><em>Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration</em>: <em>Therapy for Children with Autism and</em></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://fhautism.com/building-bridges-through-sensory-integration-therapy-for-children-with-autism-and-other-pdds.html"><em>Other Pervasive Developmental Dis</em><em>orders</em></a>&nbsp;for anyone who has, or works with, a child with sensory needs.&nbsp; <br /><br />Go to Future Horizons to order it now!<br /><br /><br />Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-71594752080256707732015-04-06T08:31:00.000-05:002015-04-06T08:31:00.131-05:00Mozart and the Whale giveaway!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To celebrate Autism Awareness month, we are having an incredible give away!&nbsp; Enter to win a copy of <em>Mozart and the Whale,&nbsp;a</em> love story between two savants with Asperger's syndrome, a kind of autism, whose conditions sabotage their budding relationship.﻿</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_rm8DSz5SJM/U9EJT-46ZsI/AAAAAAAABNI/veHrun1u_4c/s1600/mozart+and+the+whale.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_rm8DSz5SJM/U9EJT-46ZsI/AAAAAAAABNI/veHrun1u_4c/s1600/mozart+and+the+whale.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But that's not all!&nbsp; You will also get a copy of the book <em>Talking Together, </em>two social stories that clarify daily routines and explain social rules.</div><div style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BLHQI5TM98U/U9EJUBxK26I/AAAAAAAABNM/nRg7PGF1VSM/s1600/talking+together+book.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BLHQI5TM98U/U9EJUBxK26I/AAAAAAAABNM/nRg7PGF1VSM/s1600/talking+together+book.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And last but not least, you will receive a set of <em>Understanding Emotions</em> cards.&nbsp; According to nlconcepts website these cards teach your student emotional intelligence (EQ). "IQ gets you through school but EQ gets you though life! &nbsp;This emotion set is one of a kind. A superb quality photograph on the front of each card teaches a child to label emotions. The back of each card teaches a child how these emotions feel and when they could occur.&nbsp;There are 30 emotion cards with a size of 3 x 3.5 each. Emotions in the set include happy, sad, angry, frustrated, excited and many more.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span>&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span>&nbsp;</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">﻿</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lEdstlQ3eVo/U9EJi4G_dsI/AAAAAAAABNY/eiYYM0cif9U/s1600/understanding+emotions.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lEdstlQ3eVo/U9EJi4G_dsI/AAAAAAAABNY/eiYYM0cif9U/s1600/understanding+emotions.png" height="320" width="263" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>GIVEAWAY!!!!</strong></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>There are a few different ways to enter the contest. You are able to get up to four entries per person!</strong></div><br />~~One entry for leaving a comment here.<br /><br />~~One entry for liking us on Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/FamilyMattersPTIC?fref=ts"><span style="color: #993300;">http://www.facebook.com/#!/FamilyMattersPTIC?fref=ts</span></a><br />Just click on that link and hit the 'Like' button.<br /><br />&nbsp;<strong><u> (Please mention in a comment on this post that you have liked our FB page or else I won't know to give you an entry).</u></strong><br /><br />~~One entry for blogging about our giveaway. Share your link here in the comments.<br /><br />~~One entry for sharing this post on Facebook. Share the link in the comments.<br /><br />***Due to shipping expenses, this giveaway is only for residents of the US.<br /><br />The giveaway ends on April 13th at midnight!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><br />Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-91391016887669514602015-01-12T08:49:00.000-06:002015-01-12T08:49:00.628-06:00"Empowering your Child who has Special Needs" Give away!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EM9g7olt3Cg/U9EP3R1R3vI/AAAAAAAABNw/eBX3GuktCgU/s1600/empowering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EM9g7olt3Cg/U9EP3R1R3vI/AAAAAAAABNw/eBX3GuktCgU/s1600/empowering.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div><br /><br />We have a copy of <em>Empowering Your Child who has Special Needs</em> to give to one lucky reader.<br /><br />Book description from Amazon.com:<br />"Parents raising a child with special needs want to equip their child with the skills and abilities necessary to live the most independent life possible. But actually accomplishing this can be difficult. Learning to empower a child with strength, dignity, responsibility, and independence is a daunting task for parents struggling to understand and cope with the special needs of their child.In Empowering Your Child Who Has Special Needs, Debbie Goodwin helps parents identify enabling or guilt-based attitudes and actions that trap the child and themselves in unhealthy co-dependencies. As the mother of a daughter with special needs, she understands first-hand the struggles and frustration that come with this unexpected responsibility. Based on the belief that God’s truth is a freeing reality, Goodwin develops empowering strategies to help parents actualize God’s plan for them and their child. Empowering Your Child Who Has Special Needs invites the parents of children with special challenges to make the journey to discover how God’s plan will ’give you hope and a future."<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>GIVEAWAY!!!!</strong></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>There are a few different ways to enter the contest. You are able to get up to four entries per person!</strong></div><br />~~One entry for leaving a comment here.&nbsp; Please be sure to include your email address so we are able to contact you if you win!<br /><br />~~One entry for liking us on Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/FamilyMattersPTIC?fref=ts"><span style="color: #993300;">http://www.facebook.com/#!/FamilyMattersPTIC?fref=ts</span></a><br />Just click on that link and hit the 'Like' button.<br />&nbsp;<strong><u> (Please mention in a comment on this post that you have liked our FB pageor else I won't know to give you an entry).</u></strong><br /><br />~~One entry for blogging about our giveaway. Share your link here in the comments.<br /><br />~~One entry for sharing this post on Facebook. Share the link in the comments.<br /><br />***Due to shipping expenses, this giveaway is only for residents of the US.<br /><br />This giveaway ends on January 19th at midnight.<br /><br /><br />Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-57616070753553547932014-12-30T07:00:00.000-06:002014-12-30T08:54:58.507-06:00Sensory Book and Video Give away!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xSad0f8hVuw/U86-Jx_6f0I/AAAAAAAABMc/U7glUy5gqEo/s1600/gb1700_getting_kids_in_sync_dvd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xSad0f8hVuw/U86-Jx_6f0I/AAAAAAAABMc/U7glUy5gqEo/s1600/gb1700_getting_kids_in_sync_dvd.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yEaw6-GGBA8/U86-WHJqruI/AAAAAAAABMk/UTWS3wa41C8/s1600/starting+sensory+int+therapy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yEaw6-GGBA8/U86-WHJqruI/AAAAAAAABMk/UTWS3wa41C8/s1600/starting+sensory+int+therapy.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4DHjnyEnbiY/U86-noUSzxI/AAAAAAAABMs/5FJHeWWw2Kc/s1600/notjustspirited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4DHjnyEnbiY/U86-noUSzxI/AAAAAAAABMs/5FJHeWWw2Kc/s1600/notjustspirited.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One lucky reader will receive all three of these wonderful Sensory Processing resources.&nbsp; </div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong><br /><strong>GIVEAWAY!!!!</strong></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>There are a few different ways to enter the contest. You are able to get up to four entries per person!</strong></div><br />~~One entry for leaving a comment here.&nbsp; Please be sure to include your email address so we can contact you if you win!!<br /><br />~~One entry for liking us on Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/FamilyMattersPTIC?fref=ts"><span style="color: #993300;">http://www.facebook.com/#!/FamilyMattersPTIC?fref=ts</span></a><br />Just click on that link and hit the 'Like' button.<br /><br />&nbsp;<strong><u> (Please mention in a comment on this post that you have liked our FB pageor else I won't know to give you an entry).</u></strong><br /><br />~~One entry for blogging about our giveaway. Share your link here in the comments.<br /><br />~~One entry for sharing this post on Facebook. Share the link in the comments.<br /><br />***Due to shipping expenses, this giveaway is only for residents of the US.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Giveaway ends on&nbsp;January 9th at midnight.</div><br />Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-79626501612861981362014-12-16T17:40:00.000-06:002014-12-16T17:40:00.122-06:00Be Flexible & Reduce the Anxiety of Getting Gifts<h1 class="entry-title" style="color: #333333; font-family: Oswald, arial, serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"></h1><div class="post-info" style="font-family: &quot;Droid Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><br /></div><div class="entry-content" style="font-family: &quot;Droid Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px; overflow: hidden;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N_I72yuc6hs/TYHZ-AthdKI/AAAAAAAABbI/ua3gwghGxh4/s1600/bunny+present.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #27c3c7; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N_I72yuc6hs/TYHZ-AthdKI/AAAAAAAABbI/ua3gwghGxh4/s320/bunny+present.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 4px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); max-width: 570px; padding: 1px;" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><b><i>Source: autismdigest.com</i></b></div></div><div></div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">We assume that everyone enjoys receiving a gift, especially kids. Yet many parents report that getting a gift causes fear and anxiety in their children with autism. Simply put, it just is not fun for them. Rather than bubbling with excitement, they face increasing anxiety over the unknown. They fear opening a gift when they don’t know what’s under the paper. They truly hate surprises, even good ones. They may be uncertain about how to respond to the gift. Or they may worry about disappointment if the gift isn’t their one desired item. It’s more than enough to push our kids on the spectrum over the edge to a meltdown.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">Holidays, birthdays, and celebrations … all represent a challenging change in schedules and environment. Do we really want to add more anxiety just because gifts should be wrapped, we want our loved ones to be surprised, or because that’s what tradition dictates? If your child shows stress and difficult behaviors over receiving gifts, maybe this is the year to explore new options. Rather than following traditions or expectations, let’s find ways to help kids with autism learn to enjoy getting gifts. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Use your well-honed parent radar to judge how each idea may/may not be suitable for your child.</div><div style="float: right; margin: 3px 0px 3px 3px;"></div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Don’t keep secrets.</b></span></div><div><b></b>Let your child know what gifts he is receiving. This may be quite difficult as parents want their children to experience the magical joy of the holiday season, which includes delight as they open unknown presents. However, you can remove a lot of anxiety by telling them what gifts to expect. Giving hints without being specific may be enough for some children, and it can be made into a game. For example, let him guess which “category” a present is from. Simply knowing he’s getting a cartoon-related action figure may be enough to put his mind at ease.<br /><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Create a picture board showing the gifts.</b></span></div></div><div>Get a large piece of poster board in a color that fits the season or occasion. Cut the poster board into a fun shape, such as a large heart. Print or copy online images of the gifts she will receive and tape or glue them onto the poster board. This visual reminder of what gifts she can expect will remove fear of the unknown. Keep the picture board as a way to build memories and as a tool to remind her of the fun. PS. Surprisingly, some moms who tried this said it did not make their children want the presents right away. They were content to wait for the big day as long as they knew what to expect.<br /><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Find alternatives to gift wrap.</b></span></div></div><div>Skip the gift wrap or use gift bags without tissue paper. If you do use wrapping, don’t wind ribbon around the box, making it more frustrating to open. Instead of wrapping paper, use a card, picture or even simple shapes cut from construction paper and tape them on the gift. They won’t cover and hide the gift, but they’re fun and give the illusion of being wrapped.<br /><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"></div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Proactively discuss gifts with family and friends.</b></span></div></div><div>Don’t leave the door open to random gifts. Give people a list of items you know your child either likes or expects. Explain about your child’s special interests and assure them it’s ok to buy yet another train, dinosaur or whatever your child collects.<br /><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Prepare your child for unexpected gifts.</b></span></div></div><div>Write a social story teaching him how to respond and role play until he’s comfortable. Be prepared to deal with resistance to telling socially accepted “little white lies” about gifts he doesn’t like and work together to come up with responses that are truthful yet kind. Talk about what he can do with a gift he doesn’t like.<br /><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Consider their interests.</b></span></div></div><div><b></b>This seems like obvious advice, but holidays and birthdays often become prime time when family and friends think it’s “fun” to experiment with new gifts. While we all want to expand our children’s interests, high-anxiety occasions are not the best time to introduce new topics and toys.<br /><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"></div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Don’t forget unique events</b>.</span></div></div><div>It’s easy to overlook the potential anxiety associated with typical yet infrequent events, like various holidays. Be sure to prepare in advance using picture cards, social stories, and schedules.<br /><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"></div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">-Selection reprinted with permission from the 2010 revised edition of 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism or Asperger’s, by Ellen Notbohm and Veronica Zysk. Future Horizons, Inc., publisher.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">This article is taken with permission from autismdigest.com, where readers can go online and, by signing in, can access free copies of the magazine’s eGuide, which is packed full of more information on holidays and gift giving for children on the spectrum. Article amended to fit any gift giving season.&nbsp;</div></div></div><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span>Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-45914433083294306362014-12-10T17:34:00.000-06:002014-12-10T17:34:00.231-06:00Surviving Holiday Celebrations<h1 class="entry-title" style="color: #333333; font-family: Oswald, arial, serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><br /></h1><div class="post-info" style="font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><br /></div><div class="entry-content" style="font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px; overflow: hidden;"><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><a href="http://special-ism.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/santa1.jpg" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-24428" height="300" src="http://special-ism.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/santa1-204x300.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 4px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 15px 10px 0px; max-width: 570px; padding: 1px;" title="santa" width="204" /></a>In the past, I have dreaded holiday parties. To be honest, I avoided them whenever possible. They were often just too stressful and full of sensory landmines for my kids to enjoy, which made the parties pretty miserable for my husband and me, too. Since I couldn’t very well avoid all holiday festivities, I needed to find ways to cope.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">And unless you live in the wilderness far from civilization, chances are you will have to attend at least one holiday party this year, too.</div><div style="float: right; margin: 3px 0px 3px 3px;"></div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">Don’t despair, though! There are many things you can do to prepare yourselves and your kids so that the parties are enjoyable.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">Over the years, I have discovered some things that have helped both my son, who is 7, and my daughter, who is 5, cope better with big holiday family parties, and they may help you, too.&nbsp; Here are my suggestions….</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;">Exercise Beforehand</span><br />I try to do some exercise with my children before we go to a party. My son, who is a sensory seeker, responds very well to heavy work. It calms him and makes him much more able to deal with extra sensory input. If the weather is decent, I take him for a bike ride before the party. Otherwise, we set up an indoor obstacle course that includes jumping on the mini-trampoline and crawling through tunnels. Try to incorporate an activity that your child enjoys and ones that tend to calm him down. Extra heavy work will help regulate your child’s senses, so he will be more able to handle the sensory stimuli at the party.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;">Get the Kids Outside&nbsp;</span><br />I know most of us live in locales where the weather is not very pleasant this time of year. Still, it helps tremendously if, while at a loud party, you are able to get your children outside the house for a while. I typically offer to take all my kids, along with their cousins on a walk around the block. We take the opportunity to get some fresh air and admire all the Christmas decorations. This has multiple benefits. My daughter, who is very sensitive to noise, gets the chance to have a bit of peace and quiet; and my son, who has lots of extra energy, is able to run and let off some steam.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;">Feed Them Ahead of Time</span><br />I don’t know about your children, but mine rarely eat much at big parties with lots of people around. I used to try and fight them, until Mother’s Day a few years ago. At that particular party, my son ate absolutely no dinner. My sister offered him a piece of cake before I realized what she was doing. I was just about to take the cake away from him, when he got up and walked away. He was too wound up to even eat a piece of cake!</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">When we got home, the kid devoured three sandwiches. Even though he was obviously hungry at the party, he couldn’t calm down enough to eat. Now, I make a habit of feeding my kids before a party. Gatherings with lots of people are not the place, in my opinion, to battle with my kids over food. Also, I imagine it must be very difficult for a child with SPD to regulate his senses in a stressful situation, and even more so when he is very hungry.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">Along with that, if your child is a picky eater, be sure to bring food with you. Don’t force your child to try a new food at a party. He is already dealing with enough uncomfortable sensory stimuli! Besides, who wants to fight at a Christmas party?</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;">Secure a Calm Down Spot</span><br />When we go to a family party, I always find a quiet, peaceful place my son and daughter can go to if they get overwhelmed. I tell them ahead of time where to go if they need some alone time, and this has prevented so many meltdowns. If your child is too young to remove herself from the overwhelming situation, monitor him closely and take him to the place when you think he is getting over stimulated. Give her some time to regroup before returning to the party.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;">Ensure Kids are Well Rested&nbsp;</span><br />Dealing with loud, chaotic parties is difficult in the best of times, but if your child is already tired she will have an even tougher time handling all the sensory input. If your child still naps, do what you can to ensure her nap schedule is not interrupted. Also, try to make sure your child gets extra sleep the night before a party.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;">Schedule Wisely</span><br />Most families have many parties and events to attend during the holiday season. With kids who have sensory difficulties, these parties are fraught with potential difficulties. Try not to schedule too many activities in one day. You may also want to eliminate some parties so your child has some down time. I know it is tempting to try to attend all the fun activities you’ve been invited to, but seriously consider what your child can handle. Be realistic; it may mean you will need to decline some invitations, but this will prevent your child from becoming totally over stimulated at the functions you do attend.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;">Advocate for your Kids&nbsp;</span><br />You know your child better than anyone else. Don’t let family members or friends convince you to do something that you know makes your child uncomfortable. Don’t give in to peer pressure. For example, just because all your nieces and nephews are visiting Santa at the mall doesn’t mean you have to take your child, especially if you know it will scare her. It helps me if I remind myself that the point of these activities is for my kids to have fun. If a particular event will be stressful to my child, the fun is lost.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;">Have an Escape Plan</span><br />Whenever we are going to any kind of function, my husband and I discuss when we should leave the party. We also make what we call our “escape plan.” Basically, we know what behaviors to watch for that tell us the kids have had enough and it’s time to head home. We have a policy that if one of us thinks it’s time to go, the other agrees without argument. We split up and each take charge of certain tasks. Usually, I get the kids dressed in coats, while Bil herds them off to the car where they wait as I gather all our things. It helps if you have a system in place ahead of time.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;">Bring Calming Tools</span><br />My 7-year-old son chews on a blanket to calm himself down; he doesn’t use it all the time, but it definitely helps him when he is stressed. I know this is odd, so I sometimes would prefer if he left the blanket at home. Holiday parties, though, are pretty stressful for him, and they are not the time to try to wean your kid off of a calming, comfort item, no matter how disapproving Aunt Gertrude might be of your son’s blankey. So be sure to bring it–I often keep the blanket in the car and only pull it out when I can see my son needs it.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">The holiday season is a very stressful time for most people, even those who do not deal with Sensory Processing Disorder. So, it is not surprising that this time of year can wreak havoc on your kids’ sensory regulation, sleep and behavior. Try your best to keep schedules as consistent as possible and plan ahead when you will be heading out to holiday parties. Do these things and the parties should go much more smoothly.</div></div><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span>Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-18896063602832324952014-11-19T17:32:00.000-06:002014-11-19T17:32:00.379-06:00Scooter Board Activities for the Home<h1 class="entry-title" style="color: #333333; font-family: Oswald, arial, serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"></h1><div class="post-info" style="font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><br /></div><div class="entry-content" style="font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px; overflow: hidden;"><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><a href="http://special-ism.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/scoot1.jpg" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="scoot1" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-39146" src="http://special-ism.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/scoot1-300x233.jpg" height="233" style="background-color: white; border: 4px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 15px 10px 0px; max-width: 570px; padding: 1px;" width="300" /></a>When people come over to our house for the first time, they are usually a little surprised. Our family room looks like a crazy Romper Room, filled with swings, (including a&nbsp;<a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B001OG38MQ/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">net swing</a>,&nbsp;<a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B000XQ8XEG/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">pogo stick swing</a>, and&nbsp;<a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B007FB69EI/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">tire swings</a>), and the kids’ favorites: the&nbsp;<a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B000LNY5IE/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">trapeze</a>,&nbsp;<a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B002FKHUJC/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">balls</a>, and a&nbsp;<a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B0016UMK9M/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">mini trampoline</a>. My family owns many, many pieces of&nbsp;<a href="http://special-ism.com/category/therapy/" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;">therapy</a>&nbsp;equipment. Since our children’s&nbsp;<a href="http://special-ism.com/category/therapy/traditional-therapy/occupational-therapy/" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;">occupational therapist</a>&nbsp;is three hours away, she sets up a program for us and we come home and try to replicate all the exercises. This has necessitated that we purchase much in the way of therapy equipment.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">We also have many pieces of smaller, less expensive equipment, and of these, I would have to say our&nbsp;<a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B008AK6WMC/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">scooter boards</a>&nbsp;are the favorites, hands down.</div><div style="float: right; margin: 3px 0px 3px 3px;"></div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B008AK6WMC/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Scooter board</a>&nbsp;are relatively inexpensive, typically under $35, and they are easily stored and transported. Plus, they offer all kinds of therapeutic benefits. Scooter boards are great for building kids’ core muscles, they provide good&nbsp;<a href="http://special-ism.com/category/sensory/discrimination-disorder/vestibular/" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;">vestibular</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://special-ism.com/category/sensory/discrimination-disorder/proprioception-sensory/" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;">proprioceptive input</a>, and they are really, really fun.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">There are so many fun activities you can do with&nbsp;<a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B008AK6WMC/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">scooter boards</a>. Here are some of my kids’ favorite&nbsp; games:</div><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><strong>Races.&nbsp;</strong>We have three&nbsp;<a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B008AK6WMC/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">scooter boards</a>&nbsp;and often have races in the kitchen (where there is no carpeting and plenty of space). The kids often race each other for some imaginary prize, but they like it the best when one of us parents join in the fun.</li><li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><strong>Ski Run</strong>. The kids use toilet plungers—ones that we bought exclusively for therapy—like ski poles to pull themselves around the floor while they sit cross-legged on the&nbsp;<a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B008AK6WMC/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">scooter boards</a>. This is much more difficult than it sounds. We sometimes have them scoot to one side of the room, pick up an object and bring it back, all while “skiing” with the plungers.</li></ul><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><strong>Bungee Scooting</strong>. We hook bungee cords on our kitchen cabinet handles on either side of the room. You could also install hooks on the walls that you could attach the cords to. The kids pull on the bungee cord while they are sitting on the&nbsp;<a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B008AK6WMC/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">scooter board</a>&nbsp;so that when they let go, they will go racing across the room. They can do this activity while sitting or while lying on their stomachs. Either way, it is a great core strengthener.</li><li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><strong>Tower Crash</strong>. Have your child sit on his bottom and use his feet to push the&nbsp;<a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B008AK6WMC/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">scooter board</a>. When they get to the end of the room, take a big cardboard block or a ball and put it between his legs and then scoot to the other side of the room. Take the blocks and stack them up and after several times, the child can then fly into the tower of blocks, knocking them over.</li><li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><strong>Scooting</strong>. Have your child use the&nbsp;<a class="easyazon-link" href="http://amazon.com/dp/B008AK6WMC/?tag=speciism0f-20" rel="nofollow" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">scooter board</a>&nbsp;to get around from one place to another or one station in an obstacle course to another. Kids can sit on the scooter and use their feet to propel them, or they can lie on their stomachs and use their hands to scoot. Regardless, it’s a fun way to get around!</li></ul><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">Note: Many of these ideas came from Occupational Therapist Linda Kramer of Children’s Therapy Services.</div></div><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span>Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-65139660255613933522014-11-13T14:51:00.000-06:002014-11-13T14:51:00.122-06:00No Longer a Secret book review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w2GVxwHWWOc/U87BNlCxKLI/AAAAAAAABM4/gvBQJKwL-jc/s1600/no-longer-a-secret-autism-ebook-nook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w2GVxwHWWOc/U87BNlCxKLI/AAAAAAAABM4/gvBQJKwL-jc/s1600/no-longer-a-secret-autism-ebook-nook.jpg" height="320" width="252" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><a href="http://fhautism.com/ebook-no-longer-a-secret-.epub-or-nook.html#.U87BA01OUdU"><em>No Longer&nbsp;a Secret: Unique Common Sense Strategies for Children with Sensory or Motor Challenges</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>by Doreit Bialer and Lucy Jane Miller is an invaluable resource for those looking for on-the-spot, practical and cheap solutions and tips for kids with sensory issues.<br /><br />The book starts out with a chapter dedicated to the eight sensory systems, Sensory Processing, and SPD.&nbsp; The authors then move on to reveal their "secret" to intervention which they explain as a "process of devising strategies that work to support your child at times when he or she is experiencing sensory challenges."<br /><br />The method walks you through various causes of the issue you are looking to fix.&nbsp; For example, is it an attention problem, a sensation issue, or environmental.&nbsp; Once you ascertain what cause underlies the problem (and the authors provide a handy chart to help you do so) you move on to the chapters which offer practical solutions to try with your child.<br /><br />The authors provide games and activities for issues like self-regulation, sensory over and/or under-responsivity, among others.&nbsp; <br /><br />This is a really valuable resource for anyone who has, or works with, a child with sensory issues.&nbsp; It provides fun, practical and cheap activity ideas that will help kids develop sensory regulation!<br /><br /><span style="background-color: #ffd966; font-size: large;">If you would like to borrow a copy of this book and you live in Illinois, please contact Family Matters at 866-436-7842.</span><br /><br />Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-40367441745907182452014-11-11T15:28:00.000-06:002014-11-11T15:28:00.381-06:003 Signs It’s Time to Talk With Your Child’s Teacher <a href="http://www.ncld.org/images/content/images/parent-talking-teacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="When to Contact Your Child's Teachers: 3 Signs It's Time to Speak Up" border="0" class="article_pic_right" src="http://www.ncld.org/images/content/images/parent-talking-teacher.jpg" title="When to Contact Your Child's Teachers: 3 Signs It's Time to Speak Up" /></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">originally posted on the National Center for Learning Disabilities<br /></div><br /><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="8" style="border-image: none; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin-bottom: 0px; width: 50%;"><tbody><tr><td><span class="article-header-custom">At a Glance</span><ul><li>Frequent homework issues could be a sign of trouble at school.</li><li>A change in your child’s attitude about school could be another telltale sign.</li><li>Communicating your concerns early can sometimes head off bigger problems.</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Have you ever wanted to call or email your child’s teacher but were afraid of being a bother? Don’t worry! Gone are the days of waiting for a parent-teacher conference, a PTA meeting or a chance meeting in the school hallway to touch base with the teacher. <br /><br /> School websites, social networks, email and texting have made it easier to stay in contact. And communicating early can sometimes head off bigger problems and enable you to build a solid relationship with the school. <br /><br /> Here are three situations when it’s wise to reach out: <br /><br /><ol id="olh4"><li><h4>Your child’s attitude changes.</h4>Maybe your child—who used to like school—now throws a tantrum before getting on the bus. Or maybe he’s been expressing negative feelings about school in other ways. He might be having trouble academically or socially. The teacher can be your eyes and ears at school and help identify what’s going on. <br /><br />If the new behavior is evident at school, you and the teacher can talk about whether it happens at certain times of day or during certain subjects. Knowing this mightgive you deeper insight into why your child’s attitude has changed. The teacher can also ask other faculty and staff to keep an eye out.</li></ol>Click <a href="http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/rti-parent-school-relationship/key-signs-you-should-talk-with-your-childs-teacher?utm_source=newsletter_february_4_2014&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=text&amp;utm_campaign=ldnews-teasertext">here to read more.....</a>Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-32499901568174630802014-11-03T09:23:00.000-06:002014-11-03T09:23:00.438-06:00Child Find: What is it???<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hMXWCqLGsuA/U80iPhJqkSI/AAAAAAAABLM/ASmCV1dLWUk/s1600/pic+of+kid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hMXWCqLGsuA/U80iPhJqkSI/AAAAAAAABLM/ASmCV1dLWUk/s1600/pic+of+kid.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b>&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Child Find</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> is an ongoing process through which all children, from birth through 21 (through the day before the student’s 22<sup>nd</sup>birthday), or who may be eligible for early intervention, or who may be in need of special education services are identified, located and evaluated. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each school district is responsible for actively locating, identifying and evaluating all children who live within the district boundaries who may qualify to receive special education and/or related services. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">&nbsp;</span></o:p></span></div><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To read more visit: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.isbe.net/spec-ed/pdfs/parent_guide/ch1-child_find.pdf"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.isbe.net/spec-ed/pdfs/parent_guide/ch1-child_find.pdf</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/></v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="http://blog.meritas.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/young-boy-with-magnifying-glass.jpg" style='width:375pt;height:250.5pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\PATTYH~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg" o:title="young-boy-with-magnifying-glass"/></v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /></div><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have questions about your child, contact Family Matters Parent Training and Information Center at 866-436-7842, and speak to one of our Information Specialist!!!<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-34473667473985251482014-11-03T08:38:00.000-06:002014-11-03T08:38:00.390-06:00Book and CD giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uO0JroCsoCo/U9ENBScTlTI/AAAAAAAABNk/RMatRDbfOnM/s1600/alex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uO0JroCsoCo/U9ENBScTlTI/AAAAAAAABNk/RMatRDbfOnM/s1600/alex.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div><br />Enter our give away to win this book <em>Alex: The Fathering of a Preemie</em>.&nbsp; If you win, you will also win a copy of a Music Therapy for Children cd.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>GIVEAWAY!!!!</strong></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>There are a few different ways to enter the contest. You are able to get up to four entries per person!</strong></div><br />~~One entry for leaving a comment here.&nbsp; Please be sure to include your email address so we can get a hold of you if you win!<br /><br />~~One entry for liking us on Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/FamilyMattersPTIC?fref=ts"><span style="color: #993300;">http://www.facebook.com/#!/FamilyMattersPTIC?fref=ts</span></a><br />Just click on that link and hit the 'Like' button.<br />&nbsp;<strong><u> (Please mention in a comment on this post that you have liked our FB pageor else I won't know to give you an entry).</u></strong><br /><br />~~One entry for blogging about our giveaway. Share your link here in the comments.<br /><br />~~One entry for sharing this post on Facebook. Share the link in the comments.<br /><br />***Due to shipping expenses, this giveaway is only for residents of the US.<br /><br /><br />The give away ends on November 10th at midnight.<br /><br />Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-56770906587445615372014-10-31T17:39:00.000-05:002014-10-31T17:39:00.235-05:00Asperger’s in Pink: Interview With Author, Julie Clark<div class="entry-content" style="font-family: &quot;Droid Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px; overflow: hidden;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51EduPycgJL.jpg" height="320" style="background-color: white; border: 4px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); max-width: 570px; padding: 1px;" width="200" /></div><div style="color: #e06666;"><b><i>Author, Julie Clark interviewed by&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ourjourneythruautism.com/2010/11/meet-our-new-spd-editor-patty-porch.html" style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none;">Patty Porch</a></i></b><br /><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"></div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><b><i>What piece of advice would you have for any parents who suspect their child might have Asperger’s Syndrome?</i></b></div></div><div>Wow, there’s lots that came to mind, but each family is different. The first thing I would suggest is to make an appointment with your child’s pediatrician. But don’t make it with the child present, as it will be a lot easier to talk openly without them (or other siblings) there. (We scheduled it for when she was in school, so wouldn’t have to worry about getting a sitter for her.) If you suspect your pediatrician may not understand Asperger’s, consider consulting with another one. Also, keep an open mind! Your hunch may be correct, but it could be something else. Likewise, it could be Asperger’s – with something else (ASDs are often co-morbid.)<br /><i><b><br /><span style="color: #e06666;">What specific struggles do you think girls with Asperger’s have compared to boys?</span></b></i></div><div>We’re still learning, and one hope of writing “Asperger’s in Pink” was that more families would come forward and share their stories. For one, I personally believe societal pressures of how girls “should be” are still strong, no matter the progress of the womens movement. Girls tend to have a desire to please and fit in, and may, therefore, may mask their Asperger’s – and then fall apart once they get home! On the flip side, if a girl has zero interest in fashion, makeup, etc., believe me, her peers will take note and make life unpleasant for that girl. Not every girl likes pink – or rock stars, even if most do. And, let’s face it, compared to boys, girls can be incredibly caddy. My husband will often remark at something Kristina and I are talking about regarding social life at high school, and he continues to be amazed how girls often treat other girls. Personally, I think they have a tendency for more emotional struggles. (Not that boys don’t struggle, just that girls tend to be more emotional, to begin with.)<br /><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"></div><div style="float: right; margin: 3px 0px 3px 3px;"></div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">Lack of understanding is another area. Consider special interests. Not all, but many girls tend to have special interests that mimic those of her peers (such as animals), which fly under the radar, while the interests of boys tend to stick out a little more as unusual. That plus the fact that so many people still see Asperger’s and Autism as a male’s diagnosis, often cause these super special girls to be perpetually misunderstood.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"><i><b><span style="color: #e06666;">In some ways, it seems easier to get services and a diagnosis when you have a boy with Asperger’s. Why is that? What challenges do you think face parents of girls with Asperger’s?</span></b></i></div></div><div>With a ratio of about 5:1, it’s very likely those referring children for diagnosis may not have much, if any, experience with girls on the Spectrum. Add to that Asperger’s sometimes presents itself more subtle in them, these young ladies are starting out facing an uphill diagnostic battle. Even with a diagnosis, services can also be another area of frustration. Some girls may need the same services as their male counterparts, but if they present differently, it may be more difficult to secure those services. Back to the example of animals as a special interest, many will look at this and think that the girl in question just loves them a little more than her peers, so what’s the big deal? Then they start making their own judgment calls as to whether the diagnosis is accurate. With that jaded view, it become more difficult for the parents to work with that professional. The end result is that the child either misses out on needed services, or tension arises between the adults, which isn’t good, either.<br /><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"></div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">Aside from the school setting, I think parents of girls with Asperger’s experience the same challenges as most special needs parents. If I were to think of a unique challenge, I’d say it’s currently the lack of understanding of Asperger’s in general. If you mention your child has ADHD, most people have heard of that, and you can proceed from there. Most people still have not heard of Asperger’s, or even non-classical autism, so many parents feel like they are already starting out on the defensive. Throw in the comments like, “I thought boys had autism?” and even more patience is required.</div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">On a personal note, I think one challenge that needs to be met right away is how we see our children. We had to accept that life would be different, and that our daughter is different – and that is OK. We also need to stop comparing our child to the neurotypicals surrounding us everywhere we go. As another AsperMom mentioned to me a few weeks ago, standard advice doesn’t really work for families like ours. I think once we understand and accept this, it makes it easier to move forward and make the best decisions for OUR children, and OUR families. It isn’t easy, but it helps.</div><div style="color: #e06666;"><b><i>You dedicate an entire chapter to “holding the marriage together.” Why do you think this topic important? How are parents of special needs kids more susceptible to marital discord?</i></b></div></div><div>Marriage is an area not many want to be open and honest about. I wanted to cover it to let other couples know that they are not alone, that there is at least one other couple out there that is walking the same path. Let’s be blunt, even if your child is an (albeit misunderstood) angel, things such as copays, doctor visits, and working with the school can wear you out, leaving little left for each other. And then there’s another area – extended family stress, which many have. I think it’s important to realize this, and not play the blame game. One thing these kids crave is stability and that extends to the family unit. Marriage isn’t always easy, but it is incredibly important to us that we try to work through all difficulties, for the sake of our daughter. And it is also crucial that these kids never feel responsible for stress in the marriage. Also, remember there are stressed marriages that have nothing to do with having a special needs kid under the roof. And there are incredibly happy ones that do.<br /><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"></div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">At the same time, it’s important to note that in many couples, one partner is not on board with the concept of their daughter being on the Autism Spectrum. I have heard from several moms who now not only find themselves as a single mom, but a single mom with an unsupportive father of their daughter. It just breaks my heart. If we could open up more discussion on relationships of parents of special needs kids, think the potential for good that could be done!</div></div><div style="color: #e06666;"><b><i>What steps do you and your husband take to ensure your marriage is strong and healthy?&nbsp;</i></b></div><div><b><i></i></b><br />This is such a good question! When I wrote the book, my husband did not travel much, so it was relatively easy to plan a night in at home, rent a movie, etc. Since we moved, a lot has changed in our personal lives, and so is how we approach together time. He is really good about getting us out of the house, on lunch dates, etc. However, we still have to&nbsp;<i>plan</i>&nbsp;time together, even at home. We also choose to be open and honest with each other, which can be hard when life is crazy. We’ve also looked at our marriage as a commitment that we need to continue to work on. We still look at each other as teammates. For instance, we wound up with an unexpected string of snow days this week. He worked from home.&nbsp; I needed to keep working from home.&nbsp; Our daughter was bored to tears. Instead of trying to pit one of our careers over the other’s, we recognized the importance of spending time with Kristina, and the reality of work. Basically, for lack of a better phrase, we tag-teamed. It wasn’t perfect, but it was compromise, and we do need to compromise often. We<br />tell each other we love each other regularly.<br /><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"></div><div style="color: #e06666;"><i><b>How can a parent more effectively work with the school in getting their child’s needs met?</b></i></div></div><div><i><b></b></i><b><i></i></b>Probably one of the best things that has worked for us has been to meet with Kristina’s teaching team at the beginning of each school year. This allows us to introduce our daughter to them, as well as Asperger’s. By introduce, I don’t mean an hour long presentation on Asperger’s followed by too much other information.&nbsp;<img alt=":)" class="wp-smiley" src="http://special-ism.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" style="background-color: white; border: 4px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); float: none; max-width: 570px; padding: 1px;" />&nbsp;We try to choose the parts of Asperger’s that might pose difficulty for Kristina, such as changing classes. We offer information for teachers, such as her “need” to correct others, or how she may talk to herself during tests and not know it, thereby distracting others. We ask them what is the preferred method of communication as well as frequency, and for their input. We offer suggestions of what has worked in the past, but also make an effort to try and show the school that we have a desire to work with them. In unfortunate situations, when things were not going well, we calmly went to the teacher first. If that didn’t work, then and only then, we went to the principal. Many times, some issues were misunderstandings. Unfortunately, not all were. At the end of the day, keep an open mind, and truly listen what the school has to say before jumping to conclusions. Be persistent and patient. But don’t sit back and wait for situations to resolve themselves, either. Probably the worst thing you can do is become antagonistic.<br /><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"></div><div style="color: #e06666;"><b><i>Social skills are especially difficult for children on the spectrum to understand. They are also quite difficult to teach. Do you have any techniques that have worked well in teaching Kristina social skills? What advice would you give to parents who are struggling to teach their child better social skills?</i></b></div></div><div><b><i></i></b><b><i></i></b>You are so right when you say they are difficult to understand and teach! Kristina is in high school now, and the game continues to change. Some days, we still wonder if we are making any successes. I think that anyone with a teenage daughter would feel the same way at times, right? She may not have much eye contact, but she sure has mastered the eye-roll! When she was younger, we used face cards, given to us by her therapist, and played the “feelings” game, explaining to her what different facial expressions mean and why it is important to understand them. We played games as a family, and practiced turn taking and being a good winner and a good loser. We spent a lot of time teaching her, whether role playing at home, playing together, prompting “thank you” when we’re out, etc., we just kept at it. Persistence is key. Honestly, we worked with her therapist for ways to help her, too. I think that is important to note because some people do not want to involve someone like a therapist in helping their child. But parents who continue to struggle in this area should consider looking into working with a qualified therapist. And it’s ok to start out working with one, then switch to another for a better fit. We did.<br /><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;"></div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">Now that she is older, want to know what we do? We do still use social stories. We also watch a few (ahem, “parent approved”) reality TV shows. It may sound funny, but she likes to talk throughout them, so we’ll talk about someone’s facial expression or their body language, and how that might predict how that person is going to act. They are also good to use to discuss “What would you do?” scenarios. It’s like social stories with a twist. COPS (are you cringing yet?) has been a great one for helping her see how people do all sorts of things, then lie like crazy about it. In other words, learning about not trusting others. It’s very important to teach our kids to watch body language, etc., because our super special literal kids need to realize that words do not always equal truth. These poor kids, as blunt as they can be, are also often victimized, seen as easy to take advantage of. I’ve got to admit we’re not really fans of reality TV, but these kids learn by watching and then mimicking others, so why not take advantage of a show or two, and use it as a teaching tool?</div><div style="color: #e06666;"><b><i>How can we help our family better understand our children and their special needs?</i></b></div></div><div style="color: #333333; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">This is such a hard, personal question. And by personal, I don’t mean not wanting to discuss it. I mean that families differ so much, don’t they? I think it’s good to be honest, but realistic, too. I wouldn’t drown family in information, but would definitely provide it for them. If books work best for an aunt, maybe loan or buy her one. For a grandparent, a list of links might be ideal. Tailor the information to fit each individual but DO make it available for them. Also remember that Asperger’s (and other special needs, such as SPD) can be hard for many to understand, so be patient, realizing it very well may take longer than you’d like for them to know your child. Above all, don’t be accusatory, but be there for your family to ask honest, direct questions. Our family sometimes felt like they would offend us if they asked this or that. Once we assured them not to worry, it was easier to get dialogue going. And I think that’s another key word: dialogue. Not monologue.</div></div><span style="background-color: #d5a6bd; font-size: large;">If you are interested in borrowing this book and you live in Illinois, please contact us at 866-436-7842!</span><br /><br />Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-40918894661883982282014-10-29T17:24:00.000-05:002014-10-29T17:24:00.047-05:00"Asperger's on the Job" Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fhautism.com/images/watermarked/detailed/1/s_on_the_job_autism_978-1-935274-09-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fhautism.com/images/watermarked/detailed/1/s_on_the_job_autism_978-1-935274-09-4.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I have an 11 year-old son on the autism spectrum, so when I was asked to read and review&nbsp;<a href="http://fhautism.com/aspergers-on-the-job.html#.U8xBQ_ldWSo">Asperger’s onthe Job&nbsp;by Rudy Simone</a>, I wasn’t sure how relevant I would find its contents. After all, Danny is years away from holding a job, so how helpful could the book be? Still, I figured I would glean information that I could refer to at a later date, closer to when my son became a teenager.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I was wrong, though. This book&nbsp;has invaluable advice for anyone who has Asperger’s or who knows someone with it. As soon as I opened&nbsp;<i>Asperger’s on the Job</i>&nbsp;I discovered that the information and advice provided can really be applied to almost any social experience. Much of what I read can be used to help my son in school, church, LEGO Club, and even family celebrations–all activities he participates in now.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So, don’t wait to read this book thinking it won’t be helpful until your child is older, because that would be a mistake.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The author,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ourjourneythruautism.com/2011/01/announcing-book-club-book-of-month.html"><span style="color: #27c3c7; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Rudy Simone</span></a>, decided to write&nbsp;<i>Asperger’s on the Job&nbsp;</i>when she discovered that there is a very high unemployment rate among people with Asperger’s. As a woman with Asperger’s, Simone offers a unique insight into what it might be like for Aspergerians in the workplace. Additionally, she interviewed over 50 people with Asperger’s as research for this book.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Simone covers a wide variety of topics from why people with Asperger’s are good employees to the many sensory issues Aspergians might face at the workplace. There are chapters on small talk, emotional attachment, rumors/gossip and other social blunders people with Aspergers often fall prey to. One whole chapter is dedicated to whether you should inform employers if you happen to have Aspger’s, and another chapter explains how praise can and should be used by employees to motivate and train their Aspergian employees.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">My favorite aspect of this book is that Simone does not blame anyone for the extremely high unemployment rate in this population. She admits that people with Asperger’s can be awkward, put people off, and sometimes be difficult to understand. Still, she notes that Aspergians have many, many strengths that are of great benefit to employers. She encourages employers to note those strengths and to do whatever possible to help their employees be successful in the workplace.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Asperger’s on the Job</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">&nbsp;offers clear explanations for many of the difficulties facing Aspergian employees and gives straightforward advice for workers and employers alike. Often, all it takes for success is a little adjustment and understanding on both sides.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I, for one, am grateful that Simone has shared her insights in this invaluable book. Hopefully, with her help the world will become more aware of the challenges facing people with Asperger’s in the workplace.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Who knows? Maybe by the time my son is old enough to get a job, people will be better educated, and therefore more accepting of him and his difficulties, because of books like this one.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I can only hope.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: lime; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you are interested in borrowing a copy of <i>Asperger's on the Job </i>and live in Illinois, please contact Family Matters at 866-436-7842 or leave a comment here; please be sure to leave an email address so we can contact you!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">If you would like to buy your own copy of this important resource, go to <a href="http://fhautism.com/?subcats=Y&amp;status=A&amp;pshort=Y&amp;pfull=Y&amp;pname=Y&amp;pkeywords=Y&amp;search_performed=Y&amp;q=rudy+simone&amp;dispatch=products.search">Future Horizons</a>. &nbsp;If you use the code PH, you will receive free shipping and 15% off your orders.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-32210444476977351162014-10-23T08:07:00.000-05:002014-10-23T08:07:00.631-05:00Accommodations & Modifications: Is There a Difference? <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kbit3ccAaGk/U8fKbZz22gI/AAAAAAAABKg/AF_1q0Huv4o/s1600/accommodations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kbit3ccAaGk/U8fKbZz22gI/AAAAAAAABKg/AF_1q0Huv4o/s1600/accommodations.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-size: 19pt;"></span></b>&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">&nbsp;</span></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are the parent of a child with an IEP you are probably already familiar with the terms, "accommodations and modifications."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>You may wonder what the difference is between the two. NICHCY has created a great resource that explains both accommodations and modifications and the differences. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">&nbsp;</span></o:p></span></div><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Accommodations and Modifications: Wait, they’re not the same?</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>&nbsp;</strong><em><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">by Kori Hamilton and Elizabeth Kessler, professional special educator and NICHCY advisor</span></em></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>originally posted on <a href="http://nichcy.org/accommodations-and-modifications">NICHCY.com</a></em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></b>&nbsp;</div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Being able to provide ample opportunities for success to all students requires a clear understanding of the needs of each individual student. Every student has a unique learning style, and some students require more help than others. Students who receive special education services have a plan in place to identify the type of support(s) that’s needed.<br />One type of support is an accommodation, which is a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability. A modification, which is a change in what is being taught to or expected from the student, is another type of support a student with an IEP may receive. Some adaptations might be very simple, like sitting a student in the front of the classroom to ensure the board is easy to see. Others might be more complex, like changing the criteria for an essay to make it achievable for the student.<br /><br />Supports, accommodations, modifications, oh my! It is not uncommon for these terms to be misused interchangeably; so here is opportunity for clarification. Supports describe both modifications and accommodations. So, what’s the difference between providing a modification and an accommodation?<br /><br />An easy way to remember the difference between the two is to think of an accommodation as leveling the playing field for students by changing “how” they work through the general education curriculum. Modifications go beyond that, and alter the field (game) entirely. Modifications change “what” is learned and therefore change the content of the grade -specific curriculum.<br /><br />To read more, please <a href="http://nichcy.org/accommodations-and-modifications">click here....</a><br /><o:p></o:p></span></span><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">&nbsp;</span></div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span>&nbsp;</div>Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-83802414397934449932014-10-16T11:15:00.000-05:002014-10-16T11:15:00.026-05:00Keeping Students with Disabilities Safe from Bullying <br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="background: rgb(239, 242, 244); border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 7.5pt 0in 18.75pt;"><div align="center"><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="background: white; border: 1.5pt solid white; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 600px;"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"> <td colspan="2" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) white; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1.5pt; padding: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&amp;enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMwODIzLjIyMjQ2MDkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMDgyMy4yMjI0NjA5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3NzQ0MDMxJmVtYWlsaWQ9ZGVpbmhvcm5AZm1wdGljLm9yZyZ1c2VyaWQ9ZGVpbmhvcm5AZm1wdGljLm9yZyZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&amp;&amp;&amp;101&amp;&amp;&amp;http://www.stopbullying.gov/"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><img alt="StopBullying.gov" border="0" height="50" id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://public.govdelivery.com/system/images/25245/original/sb_email_banner_700x50.png" width="700" /></span></a></div></td> </tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 7.5pt 7.5pt 15pt; width: 70%;" valign="top" width="70%"><h2 style="margin: 0.83em 0in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span>&nbsp;</h2><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-table-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-table-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-table-left: left; mso-table-lspace: 2.25pt; mso-table-rspace: 2.25pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 15pt 0in 0in;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&amp;enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMwODIzLjIyMjQ2MDkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMDgyMy4yMjI0NjA5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3NzQ0MDMxJmVtYWlsaWQ9ZGVpbmhvcm5AZm1wdGljLm9yZyZ1c2VyaWQ9ZGVpbmhvcm5AZm1wdGljLm9yZyZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&amp;&amp;&amp;102&amp;&amp;&amp;http://www.stopbullying.gov/blog/2013/08/23/keeping-students-disabilities-safe-bullying"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><img alt="Teacher in classroom" border="0" src="http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/USHHSSB/2013/08/210460/a-teacher-talks-to-her-class_original.jpg" height="199" id="_x0000_i1026" width="309" /></span></a></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">As Secretary Duncan has noted, the Department of Education is committed to making sure that all of our young people grow up free of fear, violence, and bullying. Bullying not only threatens a student’s physical and emotional safety at school, but fosters a climate of fear and disrespect, creating conditions that negatively impact learning—undermining students’ ability to achieve to their full potential. Unfortunately, we know that children with disabilities are disproportionately affected by bullying. <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&amp;enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMwODIzLjIyMjQ2MDkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMDgyMy4yMjI0NjA5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3NzQ0MDMxJmVtYWlsaWQ9ZGVpbmhvcm5AZm1wdGljLm9yZyZ1c2VyaWQ9ZGVpbmhvcm5AZm1wdGljLm9yZyZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&amp;&amp;&amp;102&amp;&amp;&amp;http://www.stopbullying.gov/blog/2013/08/23/keeping-students-disabilities-safe-bullying"><span style="color: blue;">Continue Reading</span></a>.</span><br /><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><strong><span style="font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Are you an educator? <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&amp;enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMwODIzLjIyMjQ2MDkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMDgyMy4yMjI0NjA5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3NzQ0MDMxJmVtYWlsaWQ9ZGVpbmhvcm5AZm1wdGljLm9yZyZ1c2VyaWQ9ZGVpbmhvcm5AZm1wdGljLm9yZyZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&amp;&amp;&amp;103&amp;&amp;&amp;http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-you-can-do/educators/index.html"><span style="color: blue;">Check out these great resources on bullying prevention!</span></a></span></strong><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><strong><span style="font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&amp;enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMwODIzLjIyMjQ2MDkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMDgyMy4yMjI0NjA5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3NzQ0MDMxJmVtYWlsaWQ9ZGVpbmhvcm5AZm1wdGljLm9yZyZ1c2VyaWQ9ZGVpbmhvcm5AZm1wdGljLm9yZyZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&amp;&amp;&amp;104&amp;&amp;&amp;http://www.stopbullying.gov/blog"><span style="color: blue;">Visit the StopBullying.gov Blog</span></a></span></strong><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in;"></td> </tr></tbody></table></div></td> </tr></tbody></table>Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-6544066137837422372014-10-13T12:05:00.000-05:002014-10-13T12:05:00.117-05:00Give away!<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Check out our latest give away!&nbsp; We are giving one lucky reader the following 2 sets of cards. These card sets are designed to teach early conversation skills and increase language repertoire.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hx9VMEyTccY/U81IpByQ6oI/AAAAAAAABMI/6hD-vOwLjLc/s1600/fill+in+the+blank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hx9VMEyTccY/U81IpByQ6oI/AAAAAAAABMI/6hD-vOwLjLc/s1600/fill+in+the+blank.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hK2lsWHR3lM/U81IpG019oI/AAAAAAAABME/thg8kDsxPio/s1600/learn+to+talk+about.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hK2lsWHR3lM/U81IpG019oI/AAAAAAAABME/thg8kDsxPio/s1600/learn+to+talk+about.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>GIVEAWAY!!!!</strong></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>There are a few different ways to enter the contest. You are able to get up to four entries per person!</strong></div><br />~~One entry for leaving a comment here. Be sure to include your email address, so we can contact you if you win!!<br /><br />~~One entry for liking us on Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/FamilyMattersPTIC?fref=ts"><span style="color: #993300;">http://www.facebook.com/#!/FamilyMattersPTIC?fref=ts</span></a><br />Just click on that link and hit the 'Like' button.<br />&nbsp;<strong><u> (Please mention in a comment on this post that you have liked our FB pageor else I won't know to give you an entry).</u></strong><br /><br />~~One entry for blogging about our giveaway. Share your link here in the comments.<br /><br />~~One entry for sharing this post on Facebook. Share the link in the comments.<br /><br />***Due to shipping expenses, this giveaway is only for residents of the US.<br /><br />This giveaway ends October 20th at midnight.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><br />Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-69829053921477539742014-10-07T10:55:00.000-05:002014-10-07T10:55:00.264-05:00Should We File for Due Process?<br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="background: white; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 3.75pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /></div></td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 3.75pt;"><strong><span style="color: #000066; font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color: #000066; font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">Should We Threaten Litigation?</span></strong> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/img/students.class.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="absmiddle" alt="students in class with teacher" border="0" src="http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/img/students.class.sm.jpg" height="87" id="_x0000_i1025" width="130" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;">Never tell a school, or anyone else, that you plan to sue them. Play your cards close to your chest.&nbsp; Don't initiate a due process hearing until you have exhausted other ways to resolve a problem.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;">Pete Wright explains why, in most cases, <a href="http://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/?p=3389"><span style="color: #0d0961;">threatening to sue the school makes things worse</span></a>.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br /><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-table-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-table-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-table-left: right; mso-table-lspace: 2.25pt; mso-table-rspace: 2.25pt; mso-table-top: middle; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><img border="0" src="http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_left.png" id="_x0000_i1026" /><o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001N_eocp8Kcg7pholWwIdFyES8Sbkg_-H_lT1rrLHlwozD43Yiyk7n1CIVPGETypT7xyDkoAZ90Mp6QZSoMQp7Pd2a4XneUMMSNvc3-lop8m2RQwTKHUZfJnHd0FlOUsRizCXo3GTHeCRtqeyHooSHHtsXkUEWkzamNEPxMtDMHrkb5FTmKbv2dQT7H9bsB8kCdRsNiaTMI5_CbAYf4dxv9lFMXz9nGnm1" target="_blank" title="Share with Facebook"><span style="text-decoration: none; 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mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001N_eocp8Kcg5Mpqbpq1pYiXS1hJ2LADgxKWzH6LRqEumTNaNrtnsxiSEKYv-AgwyxDrWcTWtIr6IMH1Ai2DucuY73YCfy_afut7tPbHuSCgRP0GEm-zKSB5MfrIiM6Cem6i6fNOhn2rD7HegbKZishL_j1YbQ3AUucoqaYAWUkaj0rPAzmrtYQDb1dGZvmsLrDNbfS0iPZeAMwdTIuLDZQAvuDyo3pECukf49j6AfTewrSWDVsJINsWqgIh1uAf1sN9Zj0ZtOLxccQxRIxjsFcg==" target="_blank" title="More Share Options"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span>&nbsp;</div></td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><img border="0" src="http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_right.png" id="_x0000_i1031" /><o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr></tbody></table></td> </tr></tbody></table><span style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><img align="absmiddle" alt="parents at school meeting" border="1" src="http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/img/iep.mtg.table.jpg" height="87" id="_x0000_i1025" width="130" /></span><span style="color: #000066; font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;"><strong>Should We Sue the School?</strong></span><o:p></o:p><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;">NO threats.</span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;">You should never say anything that you cannot “back up” with data, statistics, or documentation.</span><o:p></o:p><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;">"I never say anything in an IEP meeting that I am not prepared to do", says Advocate Susan Bruce. <a href="http://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/?p=4039"><span style="color: #0d0961;">Hereis an option for resolving the dispute</span></a>.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background: white; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 3.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br /><div align="center" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><img align="absmiddle" alt="parent and teacher" border="1" src="http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/img/parent.writes.letter.jpg" height="155" id="_x0000_i1025" width="130" /><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 3.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="22" name="3"></a><strong><span style="color: #000066; font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">File a State Complaint Under IDEA </span></strong><br /><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;">State Complaints can address both <em><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">individual</span></em> and <em><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">systemic</span></em> issues and be used to resolve any matter related to violations of:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br /><ul type="disc"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">FAPE</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">child find</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">related services</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">ESY (regression and recoupment)</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Identification </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Lack of progress</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Evaluation</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Educational placement....</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;">Attorney Jim Comstock-Galagan explains <a href="http://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/?p=9374"><span style="color: #0d0961;">effective strategies when filing a state complaint</span></a>.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br /><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-table-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-table-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-table-left: right; mso-table-lspace: 2.25pt; 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mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001N_eocp8Kcg75hLK60s6SZ_fdhp3e_FGn_s50HXQ8UlWXInbdOJw_QwYvAVQNWGptDzG0N1SNa23Dc_EZZ-l5GiZKUXFx77ylaeqrcrd0BCKPprZfwseu6y649yIo2WQM057E2l9q00FVJhCgs2q9qM6mn1S43e212cBm80KQmLi4y7EnHj1ljOeXUQXwoEqXeV3WTdwb2aF_jvmvoe1JItxv7AMg4GPaDbYq1RzuRjfAR4vn1GBciz6c1mkaFBR0s9PiIrC3dn8=" target="_blank" title="More Share Options"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><img border="0" src="http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_more.png" id="_x0000_i1030" /></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><img border="0" src="http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_right.png" id="_x0000_i1031" /><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt;"></span><o:p><span style="background-color: lime; font-size: large;">If you have a question about due process or mediation, please contact Family Matters at (866)436-7842.</span></o:p><br /><br /><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-table-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-table-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-table-left: right; mso-table-lspace: 2.25pt; mso-table-rspace: 2.25pt; mso-table-top: middle; 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mso-element-frame-hspace: 2.25pt; mso-element-left: right; mso-element-top: middle; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001N_eocp8Kcg7G2JrXvmfZv1uWOxEN3fTJU3zrzi5KFLszBNhK95ZRGlOJa77YiOXjEi3re6ync5YIK-JZpRzI1EXX16vxoxDpts3pyYbX0IHztTzBYp9GI58_LoQXRSI9P6m9aZ7GSNMfEe9cSf2YLAvS4PN9AlAWLXaesDjhqxlx7ju0rf0xDXX_M0bAoxUQ7dRn0JJXpF2skJweGDfFtM4B04fm4jM096BXLHcTxJjvbxWLFpOvGwW4X-p8AQ6dE4eblbH1ufs=" target="_blank" title="More Share Options"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span>&nbsp;</div></td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in;">&nbsp; <br /><br /></td> </tr></tbody></table><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">&nbsp;</span>Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-72005310924838895042014-10-02T13:37:00.000-05:002014-10-02T13:37:00.086-05:00What is Bullying?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vpjnFFXpA_4/U6nFaaF2wUI/AAAAAAAABJI/-ZVxhndevkc/s1600/bully-free-zone-sign-k-4060.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vpjnFFXpA_4/U6nFaaF2wUI/AAAAAAAABJI/-ZVxhndevkc/s1600/bully-free-zone-sign-k-4060.gif" height="216" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; mso-line-height-alt: 13.2pt; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #555555; font-family: &quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><strong></strong></span>&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; mso-line-height-alt: 13.2pt; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #555555; font-family: &quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><strong>Bullying Definition</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></div><span lang="EN" style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have </span><a href="http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/effects/index.html"><span lang="EN" style="color: #003e7a; font-family: &quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">serious, lasting problems</span></a><span lang="EN" style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 3.75pt 0in 7.5pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:<o:p></o:p></span></div><ul><li> <!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.</span></li><li><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">R</span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">epetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.</span></li><li><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li></ul><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For Further information regarding: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What Bullying Is <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Where Bullying Happens, and <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Frequency of Bullying, visit: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/definition/index.html"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/definition/index.html</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">&nbsp;</span></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Other Bullying Resources Worth Taking a Look at: <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back to School: Help Prevent Bullying Before it Starts: </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><a href="http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/at-school/index.html"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/at-school/index.html</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">&nbsp;</span></o:p></span></div><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Official Blog of the US Department of Education:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.ed.gov/blog/2013/08/keeping-students-with-disabilities-safe-from-bullying/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.ed.gov/blog/2013/08/keeping-students-with-disabilities-safe-from-bullying/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">&nbsp;</span></o:p></span></div><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">StopBullying.Gov on Facebook <o:p></o:p></span></span><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/StopBullying.Gov"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.facebook.com/StopBullying.Gov</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">&nbsp;</span></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp; </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.pacer.org/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">www.pacer.org</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span>Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-38221746348698673002014-09-29T13:42:00.000-05:002014-09-29T13:42:00.596-05:00Henry Winkler Interview About Dyslexia<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/FHgVpLflbp8" width="420"></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you have a question about Dyslexia or need more supports at school for a child with the disorder, please contact Family Matters at 866-436-7842!</span></div>Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888865572169576049.post-51476842539097538032014-09-25T07:56:00.000-05:002014-09-25T07:56:00.154-05:00IEPs--To Sign or not to Sign?<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-size: 20pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Your signature on the IEP: What Does it Mean? <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">&nbsp;</span></o:p></span></div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oCnf5nw9cbU/U8fHOdvdfMI/AAAAAAAABKI/dgUOrZp1MNk/s1600/iep+pic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oCnf5nw9cbU/U8fHOdvdfMI/AAAAAAAABKI/dgUOrZp1MNk/s1600/iep+pic.png" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Attending an IEP meeting can be overwhelming as a parent. So much information is discussed and so many decisions are made. Over the years, many parents have asked,&nbsp; "When I sign the IEP&nbsp;I am agreeing to everything in the plan?"</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span>&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to the Illinois State Board of Education’s: IEP Form and Instructions,</span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Signing in the participants section of the IEP only indicates attendance at the meeting." <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">&nbsp;</span></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This wording can be found in the ISBE’s: IEP Instructions document on page 5. The following links will direct you to these documents. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.fmptic.org/sites/default/files/9%20b%20-%20ISBE%20IEP%20instructions.pdf"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Click here for the </span></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">IEP Instructions</span></span></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.fmptic.org/sites/default/files/9%20c%20-%20ISBE%20IEP%20Form.pdf">Click here for IEP Forms</a></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">&nbsp;</span></o:p></div><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have questions regarding your child’s IEP, contact <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Family Matters at 866-436-4842<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>Patty O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15598358666714482323noreply@blogger.com0